You work hard for Amazon, the world’s largest online store and second-biggest employer, often in physically demanding positions.
Getting injured on the job – whether in a massive Amazon warehouse that employs thousands and covers millions of square feet, like those in Chesterfield County, Augusta County, or Northern Virginia or while making deliveries to homes and businesses – can turn your life upside down. You’re facing pain, medical bills, lost wages, and the stress of dealing with one of the most powerful companies in the world and its claims administrator, Sedgwick.
Amazon has vast resources and uses experienced claims adjusters with Sedgwick and insurance defense law firms like KPM Law, Kiernan Trebach, and Winchester Law Group to protect its interests and purse.
You don’t have to face Amazon alone. But securing the workers compensation benefits you’re entitled to and negotiating a fair settlement requires expert legal advice and in-depth knowledge of workers compensation law.
That’s where our firm, Corey Pollard Law, comes in. We are top-ranked workers compensation attorneys who help injured Amazon employees win cases and negotiate settlements in Virginia.
We understand Amazon’s well-documented high injury rates and the tactics used to contest claims and minimize claim payouts. And our goal is simple: to fight for your rights and negotiate the maximum possible Amazon workers compensation settlement for you.
Call us at (804) 251-1620 or (757) 810-5614 or complete this form if you are an Amazon employee hurt while delivering packages or working at one of the more than 30 Amazon fulfillment and sorting centers and delivery stations in Virginia or four large distribution warehouses in Maryland. Our law firm has negotiated some of Virginia’s biggest workers compensation settlements for injured employees like you.
Working at Amazon presents unique challenges when pursuing a workers compensation claim. Amazon’s workplace environment and safety practices are the subject of intense public and governmental scrutiny, and they have considerable resources to try to manage the outcome of any given case.
Here are some things you should know after your injury and when negotiating an Amazon workers comp settlement:
It’s not just anecdotal. Official Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) shows Amazon warehouse workers suffer occupational injuries at higher rates than those at warehouses run by other employers.
For example, in 2021, Amazon’s injury rate was nearly 1.5 times the industry average. At some Amazon warehouses and fulfillment centers, 12 workers out of 100 suffered injury. In addition, Amazon workers suffered 6.6 severe injuries per 100 employees last year. This statistic is “more than double the rate of all non-Amazon warehouses, which had 3.2 serious injuries for every 100 workers.”
Injured Amazon workers often cite Amazon’s relentless focus on speed and productivity quotas as the root cause of their injuries. Some Amazon fulfillment associates have even described supervisors asking coworkers to compete with one another to see who can pick and fill more online shopping orders (or finish first). This focus on productivity leads to the following:
American Zurich Insurance Company insures Amazon’s workers compensation liability in Virginia and Maryland, where my law firm negotiates Amazon workers comp settlements for employees hurt on the job.
But Amazon uses Sedgwick, a large third-party administrator (TPA), to handle its workers’ compensation claims. Crucially, Sedgwick works for Amazon’s interests, not yours. Their goal is often to close claims quickly and minimize costs, saving Amazon money at your expense.
We understand that Sedgwick (and the insurance defense attorneys) recommend whether to accept or deny a claim and the amount to offer as an Amazon workers comp settlement. But generally, approval must come from Amazon before Sedgwick offers to settle or enter into a Workers Compensation Award Order.
While Amazon offers on-site care (Amcare), relying solely on it can be detrimental. You have the right (in Virginia) to choose from a panel of doctors outside Amcare. Being steered only to Amcare can compromise your treatment and your claim, particularly given the allegations of pressure within Amcare to minimize the severity of injuries and push Amazon warehouse employees back to work.
Amazon’s safety record and workplace injury rates have not gone unnoticed by regulators and investigative reporters. For example:
This record of high injury rates, a hurried work pace, and government concern over Amazon’s workplace environment makes having an experienced lawyer essential. You need a lawyer who knows the specific challenges an Amazon workers compensation case presents and how to counter them to protect your benefits and obtain a fair settlement.
While you’re entitled to benefits like lifetime medical treatment and wage replacement (temporary total disability (TTD) or temporary partial disability (TPD)), many injured Amazon workers seek to resolve their claims through a lump sum settlement.
A settlement is a voluntary agreement where you receive a lump sum payment (or sometimes structured payments) from Amazon’s insurer (American Zurich Ins. Co. via Sedgwick) in exchange for closing your workers compensation claim.
Different claim stages often influence when workers comp offers a settlement.
Our law firm’s experience is that Amazon prefers to close claims with lump sum payments instead of keeping them open indefinitely and will ask you to participate in a settlement mediation or make an offer at some point.
There’s no “average” settlement because every case is unique. The value depends heavily on factors like:
Crucially, Amazon/Sedgwick will try to minimize these factors. Our experienced lawyers analyze every detail, gather strong medical evidence (countering any downplaying of injuries), and aggressively negotiate to maximize the value based on your specific situation and our extensive experience with past Amazon workers compensation settlements.
Yes (at least, in Virginia).
In our experience, Amazon requires an injured worker to resign and agree not to apply for rehire as a part of the settlement.
We factor this request into negotiations when settling an occupational injury claim with Amazon.
What you do immediately after an injury significantly impacts your claim and potential settlement:
You can take on Amazon alone while hurting physically, mentally, and financially.
But we do not recommend it.
Instead, hire an Amazon workers comp lawyer who has taken on the company, Sedgwick, and the law firms representing these organizations.
Call us today for a free consultation: 804-251-1620 or 757-810-5614.
We have served as the workers compensation attorney for many injured Amazon workers in Virginia. And we want to resolve your claim.